Configurable credit card device

ABSTRACT

A credit card reader that is configurable for use is provided that includes a first assembly and a second assembly. The first assembly has a mag stripe card reader. The second assembly has a Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) reader. The second assembly is coupled to the first assembly, where the first assembly rotates about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the assemblies are disposed to one of a plurality of angular positions, the plurality of angular positions indicating an offset angle of the first assembly relative to the second assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to the following co-pending U.S. PatentApplications, each of which has a common assignee and common inventors,the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FILING SER. NO. DATE TITLE 16/364,314 Mar. 26, FIXED POINT-OF-SALETERMINAL 2019 WITH CONFIGURABLE CREDIT CARD DEVICE 16/364,327 Mar. 26,HANDHELD POINT-OF-SALE 2019 TERMINAL WITH CONFIGURABLE CREDIT CARDDEVICE 29/685,049 Mar. 26, CONFIGURABLE CREDIT CARD 2019 DEVICE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to the field of payment processing andrelated techniques, and more particularly to a configurable credit cardreader.

Description of the Related Art

Although credit accounts have existed for hundreds of years, up untilthe mid 1900's most people paid for goods and services via cash orcheck. Many businesses issued proprietary cards (e.g., charge plates)that allowed for payment within a particular business by taking amechanical imprint of a card. Because of the convenience, many patronsbegan paying via these cards, notwithstanding that they required adifferent card for each different business.

In 1960, IBM introduced magnetic stripe (or “mag stripe”) credit cards,and since that time patrons have been increasingly paying for goods andservices using this type of card. With the advent of debit cards in themid 1990's, payment via credit card increased exponentially. As oneskilled in the art will appreciate, whereas retailers in the mid 1900'sprovided for payment only by cash or check, many merchants today onlytake credit cards. And credit card technologies continue to evolve.These technologies provide for versatility and ease of use by using nearfield communication (NFC) techniques, so-called “tap to pay” mechanisms,and for security of cardholder information by using “smart” integratedcircuits that are embedded in the cards themselves, so called “chipcards.”

Presently, this worldwide industry is experiencing a switch from magstrip and NFC cards to chip cards, more formally known as Europay,Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) chip cards, and with the introduction ofAPPLE PAY® in 2014, NFC payment mechanisms are now transitioning fromcards to mobile payment technologies that allow patrons to pay via acredit card app embedded in their smart phone or tablet.

Regarding processing of EMV cards, the requirements for data encryption,security, transfer protocols, and etc. are governed and specified by aset of standards collectively referred to as Payment Card Industry DataSecurity Standard (PCI DSS), the latest release of which is version3.2.1, May 2018). The standard lays out requirements for the cardsthemselves, and additionally for electronic devices that are employed toextract and transmit information programmed into the embedded EMV chipsdispose on the EMV cards. Accordingly, to “read” an EMV card, anelectronic EMV card reading device (or, “EMV reader”) must pass a seriesof tests in order to be certified to be used to process paymenttransactions.

As one skilled in the art will additionally appreciate, certification ofan EMV card reader to PCI DSS standards, regardless of the level ofcertification, is a very costly process. It is beyond the scope of thepresent application to provide an in-depth tutorial of the detailsassociated with certification of EMV card readers. Rather, it issufficient to note that each newly developed EMV reader must undergocertification, and that the certification process is costly and lengthy,incurring significant opportunity cost.

In the case of a credit card processing device manufacturer thatdevelops one or two credit card readers every year or two, the cost ofcertification may be acceptable given the market for the readers.However, the present inventors have observed that such costs are onerousand unacceptable for integrated point-of-sale (POS) system manufacturersthat develop, deploy, and maintain substantial numbers of POS systems ofvarying type and form that are configured to comport to purchasingretailer's requirements. These POS systems may comprise a number of POSterminals that are programmed for use in different areas of a retailestablishment such as, but not limited to, customer greeting areas(e.g., host POS terminals), order entry and payment areas that maycomprise fixed or mobile POS terminals for use by staff or self-servicekiosk POS terminals, order processing areas, inventory areas, warehouseareas, etc. Some of these areas may not require integrated or attachedcredit card readers, but some areas—especially customer engagementareas—definitely require credit card processing capabilities. And, asone skilled in the art will appreciate, user experience is one of themost important factors in acceptance of different POS terminalconfigurations and, consequently, it is desirable to provide differentcredit card readers in several different orientations that include, butare not limited to, mag stripe reader and EMV reader on the same face,mag stripe reader and EMV reader on opposite faces, mag stripe readerand EMV reader on adjacent faces, etc. Yet, to certify each of thedifferent credit card readers is, as noted above, very costly.

Therefore, what is needed is a single credit card reader that includesan NFC reader, a mag stripe reader, and an EMV reader, where the creditcard reader is configurable for use in one or a plurality of differentorientations.

What is also needed is a mobile POS terminal having a single credit cardreader integrated therein, where the credit card reader includes an NFCreader, a mag stripe reader, and an EMV reader, where the credit cardreader is configurable for use in one or a plurality of differentorientations.

What is further needed is a fixed POS terminal having a single creditcard reader integrated therein, where the credit card reader includes anNFC reader, a mag stripe reader, and an EMV reader, where the creditcard reader is configurable for use in one or a plurality of differentorientations.

What is moreover needed is a stand-alone credit card reader thatincludes an NFC reader, a mag stripe reader, and an EMV reader, wherethe credit card reader is configurable for use in one or a plurality ofdifferent orientations for adaptation to a corresponding dock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, among other applications, is directed to solvingthe above-noted problems and addresses other problems, disadvantages,and limitations of the prior art. The present invention provides asuperior technique for providing a credit card reader that isconfigurable for use.

In one embodiment, a credit card reader that is configurable for use isprovided that includes a first assembly and a second assembly. The firstassembly has a mag stripe card reader. The second assembly has a EuropayMastercard Visa (EMV) reader. The second assembly is coupled to thefirst assembly, where the first assembly rotates about an axisperpendicular to a plane in which the assemblies are disposed to one ofa plurality of angular positions, the plurality of angular positionsindicating an offset angle of the first assembly relative to the secondassembly.

One aspect of the present invention contemplates a credit card readerthat is configurable for use that includes a first assembly and a secondassembly. The first assembly has a contactless card reader and a magstripe card reader. The second assembly has a Europay Mastercard Visa(EMV) reader. The second assembly is coupled to the first assembly,where the first assembly rotates about an axis perpendicular to a planein which the assemblies are disposed to one of a plurality of angularpositions, the plurality of angular positions indicating an offset angleof the first assembly relative to the second assembly.

Another aspect of the present invention envisages a method forconfiguring a credit card reader for use, the method comprising: firstdisposing a mag stripe card reader within a first assembly; seconddisposing a Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) reader within a secondassembly; and coupling the second assembly to the first assembly, whereto the first assembly rotates about an axis perpendicular to a plane inwhich the assemblies are disposed to one of a plurality of angularpositions, the plurality of angular positions indicating an offset angleof the first assembly relative to the second assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a synchronization system forpoint-of-sale (POS) terminals according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a POS terminal according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram featuring a backend server according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing exemplary update/status messagesaccording to the present invention that flow between a backend serverand a POS terminal;

FIG. 5 is a diagram detailing a configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in a 0-degree configuration;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in transition between a0-degree configuration and a 90-degree configuration;

FIG. 7 is a diagram depicting the configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in a 0-degree configuration andthat shows inserted credit cards;

FIG. 8 is a diagram featuring the configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in a 90-degree configurationand that shows inserted credit cards;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in a 180-degree configurationand that shows inserted credit cards;

FIG. 10 is a diagram detailing the configurable credit card readeraccording to the present invention shown in a 270-degree configurationand that shows inserted credit cards;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an exploded view of the configurablecredit card reader according to the present invention as seen from andownward perspective;

FIG. 12 is a diagram depicting an exploded view of the configurablecredit card reader according to the present invention as seen from anupward perspective;

FIG. 13 is a diagram featuring a mobile POS terminal according to thepresent invention that includes the configurable credit card readerconfigured in a 0-degree configuration;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a fixed POS terminal according to thepresent invention that includes the configurable credit card readerconfigured for left-handed operation;

FIG. 15 is a diagram detailing a fixed POS terminal according to thepresent invention that includes the configurable credit card readerconfigured for right-handed operation; and

FIG. 16 is a block diagram circuit illustrating circuit components ofthe configurable card reader according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary and illustrative embodiments of the invention are describedbelow. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplaryembodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, theprinciples of the present disclosure may be implemented using any numberof techniques, whether currently known or not. In the interest ofclarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described inthis specification, for those skilled in the art will appreciate that inthe development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementationspecific decisions are made to achieve specific goals, such ascompliance with system-related and business-related constraints, whichvary from one implementation to another. Furthermore, it will beappreciated that such a development effort might be complex andtime-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking forthose of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of thisdisclosure. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment will beapparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles definedherein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodimentsshown and described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed.

The present invention will now be described with reference to theattached figures. Various structures, systems, and devices areschematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation onlyand so as to not obscure the present invention with details that arewell known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attacheddrawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples ofthe present invention. Unless otherwise specifically noted, articlesdepicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpretedto have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words andphrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of aterm or phrase (i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinaryand customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art) isintended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein.To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a specialmeaning (i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans)such a special definition will be expressly set forth in thespecification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocallyprovides the special definition for the term or phrase. As used in thisdisclosure, “each” refers to each member of a set, each member of asubset, each member of a group, each member of a portion, each member ofa part, etc.

Applicants note that unless the words “means for” or “step for” areexplicitly used in a particular claim, it is not intended that any ofthe appended claims or claim elements are recited in such a manner as toinvoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).

Definitions

Integrated Circuit (IC): A set of electronic circuits fabricated on asmall piece of semiconductor material, typically silicon. An IC is alsoreferred to as a chip, a microchip, or a die.

Central Processing Unit (CPU): The electronic circuits (i.e.,“hardware”) that execute the instructions of a computer program (alsoknown as a “computer application,” “application,” “computer program,”“application program,” or “program”) by performing operations on datathat include arithmetic operations, logical operations, and input/outputoperations.

Microprocessor: An electronic device that functions as a CPU on a singleintegrated circuit. A microprocessor receives digital data as input,processes the data according to instructions fetched from a memory(either on-die or off-die), and generates results of operationsprescribed by the instructions as output. A general-purposemicroprocessor may be employed in a desktop, mobile, or tablet computer,and is employed for uses such as computation, text editing, multimediadisplay, and Internet browsing. A microprocessor may also be disposed inan embedded system to control a wide variety of devices includingappliances, mobile telephones, smart phones, and industrial controldevices.

Multi-Core Processor: Also known as a multi-core microprocessor, amulti-core processor is a microprocessor having multiple CPUs (“cores”)fabricated on a single integrated circuit.

Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) or Instruction Set: A part of acomputer architecture related to programming that includes data types,instructions, registers, addressing modes, memory architecture,interrupt and exception handling, and input/output. An ISA includes aspecification of the set of opcodes (i.e., machine languageinstructions), and the native commands implemented by a particular CPU.

Microcode: A term employed to refer to a plurality of microinstructions. A micro instruction (also referred to as a “nativeinstruction”) is an instruction at the level that a microprocessorsub-unit executes. Exemplary sub-units include integer units, floatingpoint units, MMX units, and load/store units. For example, microinstructions are directly executed by a reduced instruction set computer(RISC) microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC)microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and theassociated micro instructions are directly executed by a sub-unit orsub-units within the CISC microprocessor.

In view of the above background discussion on credit card readers andassociated techniques employed to certify these present-day credit cardreaders for use, a discussion of the present invention will now bepresented with reference to FIGS. 1-16.

Turning to FIG. 1, a block diagram is presented illustrating asynchronization system 100 for point-of-sale (POS) terminals accordingto the present invention. The synchronization system 100 may include oneor more service areas 102, such as a front service area 102, servicearea 1—service area N 102, and service area kitchen 102. Going forward,the present inventors note that though the present invention isapplicable to any type of retail establishment as is described above, arestaurant establishment will be henceforth employed in order to teachrelevant aspects of the present invention. The present inventors furthernote that though restaurant terms such as host, wait staff, cook,kitchen, food item, etc. may be employed, such terms are used to moreclearly teach the present invention in a given context; however, broaderand different retail establishment types are contemplated.

The service areas 102 may comprise one or more wireless access points101. The service areas 102 may also comprise one or more wireless POSterminals 111, 121, 131, coupled to the access points 101 via wirelesslinks 103, and which are distinguished in the system 100 as a hostterminal 111, mobile terminals 121, and order processing terminals 131.

The service areas 102 may comprise one or more wireless access points101. The service areas 102 may also comprise one or more mobile POSterminals 121 coupled to the access points 101 via wireless links 103.Typically, the mobile POS terminals 121 are of an 8-inch handhelddisplay size, though other sizes are contemplated. The service areas 102may further comprise one or more host terminals 111, which may becoupled to the access points 101 via wireless links 103. Alternatively,the host terminals 111 may be hardwired. The service areas 102 mayfurther comprise one or more fixed terminals 112 that are hardwired to agateway 113. Alternatively, one or more of the fixed terminals 112 maybe coupled to the access points 101 via the wireless links 103.Typically, the host terminals 111 and fixed terminals 112 areapproximately of a 15-inch POS display size, though other sizes arecontemplated. The service areas 102 may further comprise one or moreorder processing terminals 131 that are coupled to the access points 101via the wireless links 103. Alternatively, the order processingterminals 131 may be hardwired to the gateway 113. Typically, the orderprocessing terminals 131 are approximately of a 22-inch display size,though other sizes are contemplated. Thus, the mobile terminals 121 arereferred to as such because they move about the service areas 102. As aresult, the mobile terminals are all coupled to the access points 101via the wireless links 103. The host terminal 111 may be moved about theservices areas 102 as well, in which case it will be categorized asmobile, though having a larger display size generally than the mobileterminals. Or the host terminal 111 may be in a fixed location,typically mounted to a stand (not shown), and may be wireless orhardwired. When in a fixed location, the host terminal 111 iscategorized as fixed.

The gateway 113 provides for coupling of the terminals 112 (optionally,112, 131) that are hardwired and access points 101 an internet cloud 160via conventional wired links 105 such as, but not limited to, Ethernet,cable, fiber optic, and digital subscriber line (DSL). As part of thenetwork path to and through the cloud 160, providers of internetconnectivity (e.g., ISPs) may employ wireless technologies from point topoint, etc., but for purposes of this application, such links 105 willbe referred to as conventional wired links 105 to distinguish them fromlocal and cellular wireless links. The wireless links 103 may comprise,but are not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communications,infrared links, IEEE 802.15.4, Zigbee radio links, and cellular basedlinks (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE, 5G) or a combination of the noted links. ThePOS terminals 111, 112, 121, 131 may be configured differently tocomport with intended function (i.e., host seating, order entry, orderfulfillment, payment processing, etc.), or they may be configuredsimilarly. In one embodiment, the mobile terminals 121 may comprise atouch screen display and integral payment processor (e.g., card/chip/tapreaders) that provides for both order entry, display of order status,and payment processing. The host terminal 111, fixed terminals 112, andorder processing terminals 131 may comprise larger touch screens toallow for easier viewing by restaurant staff, or they may comprisedisplays with keyboard entry. In one embodiment, terminals 111, 112, 131may comprise desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, ortablets that are running application programs or web-enabled applicationprograms that provide for communication with a backend server 170 forpurposes of order entry, status updates, and optionally, paymentprocessing. In one embodiment, one or more of the terminals that arecharacterized as fixed may comprise an integral payment processor (i.e.,card/chip/tap reader) that provides for payment processing.

The backend server 170 is coupled to the internet cloud 160 and to anadministrative console 171 that is operably coupled to the backendserver 170 via a conventional wired link 105 and/or a wireless link 103.The backend server 270 is not on-premise and is thus referred to as acloud server 270. The administrative console 171 may be disposed withinthe restaurant premises and coupled to the backend server 170 via thelinks 103, 105, or the console 171 may be disposed in another location,say, at an operations headquarters for multiple restaurants within agiven region. In addition, the system 100 may comprise one or morebrowser-based terminals 181 that are coupled to the backend server 170via links 105. In one embodiment, the browser-based terminals 181 maycomprise desktop computers, laptop, computers, smartphones, or tabletsthat are running stand-alone applications or web-enabled applicationsthat provide for communication with the backend server 170 for purposesof order entry, status updates, and optionally, payment processing,where payment data is manually entered.

The system 100 may further comprise one or more third-party-basedterminals 141 that are coupled to the backend server 170 via theconventional links 105 though the cloud 160. The third party-basedterminals 141 may comprise desktop computers, laptop, computers,smartphones, or tablets that are running stand-alone third-partyapplications or web-enabled third-party applications that provide forcommunication with the backend server 170 for purposes of order entry,status updates, and optionally, payment processing via a proprietaryapplication programming interface (API) 142. An example of such aterminal 141 may include the well-known GrubHub® third-party applicationthat is configured to communicate with the backend server 170 via theAPI 141.

The system 100 may additionally comprise one or more mobile deliveryterminals 151 that are coupled to one or more cellular access points 201via conventional cellular wireless links 103, and the cellular accesspoints 101 are coupled to the backend server 170 via the cloud 160. Inone embodiment, the delivery terminals 151 are identical to the mobileterminals 121, and are configured to provide services for order entry,order fulfillment (i.e., delivery), and payment processing. In anotherembodiment, the delivery terminals 151 are disposed as smartphone ortablets with a detachable payment processor (e.g., card/chip/tapreader). In a further embodiment, the delivery terminals 151 aredisposed as smartphone or tablets with a payment processor integratedwithin a single housing. Other embodiments are contemplated.

Service areas 102 corresponding to the mobile terminals 121 may have oneor more tables 104 corresponding to one or more orders. For clarity,service area 1 102 depicts two tables 104, one of which corresponds toorder 1 OD1, and the other of which corresponds to order 2 OD2. Themobile terminals 121 within service area 1 102 may processes portions ofboth order 1 OD1 and order 2 OD2.

Service area N 102 depicts two tables 104, both of which correspond toorder A ODA. The mobile terminals 121 within service area N 102 may bothprocess portions order A ODA.

Though disposed within separate service areas (service area 1102—service area N 102), the mobile terminals 121 therein may be furtherconfigured to process portions of any and all orders within therestaurant and may roam from service area 102 to service area to supportwork load of the restaurant.

The order processing terminals 131 may process all orders in therestaurant, or they may be configured to each process a portion of allof the orders in the restaurant according to preparation station orinventory station.

The host terminal 111 and fixed terminals 112 may be configured toprocess all orders in the restaurant to provide for on-premise seatingassignment, order initiation, order selection, and payment processing,including closeout of orders.

One or more restaurant staff members (not shown) within service area 1102—service area N 102 may have a personal device (e.g., smartphone,tablet, laptop) 106 that can provide an ad hoc network (i.e., hotspot)to which one or more of the mobile terminals 121 may tether for purposesof communicating with the backend server 170 in the absence of Wi-Ficonnectivity to the access points 101.

In one embodiment, operations are initiated when the one or more patronsenter the restaurant. Generally, a host (not shown) will create an order(along with corresponding order identifier (OID) via the host terminal111 for the one or more patrons and will seat the patrons at one or moretables 104. The created order may include service area designation andassignment of the order to one or more mobile terminals 121. In anotherembodiment, mobile terminals 121 within a service area 102 are assignedto all orders within that service area 102. Other embodiments arecontemplated. The created order and service area assignment aretransmitted over the cloud 160 to the backend server 170, whichmaintains a durable terminal queues within which are stored orderupdates for all orders in the restaurant. Each of the plurality ofdurable queues correspond to each of the POS terminals 111, 112, 121,131, 151 within the system 100. When connection status to a giventerminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 is down (i.e., the server 170 cannotverify communication with the given terminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151),then the server 170 maintains the order updates for that terminal 111,112, 121, 131, 151 until connectivity is reestablished, at which timethe server 170 may transmit one or more of the order updates to theterminal, verifying with each transmission that the terminal 111, 112,121, 131, 151 received the update. Advantageously, each of the terminals111, 112, 121, 131, 151 is capable of processing portions of any of theorders in the restaurant.

Likewise, each of the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 maintainsdurable order queues within which are stored order updates only for eachof the orders being processed by the terminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151.Each of the 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 also maintains a plurality of orderstates that depict a current state for each of the orders in therestaurant. As a seated patron selects one or more menu items, waitstaff enters the menu items as an update in one of the terminals 111,112, 121, 131, 151, generally a mobile terminal 121 assigned to thegiven service area 102. The order update is entered into one of thedurable order queues that corresponds to the order ID. If connectivityis present, then the terminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 transmits theorder update to the server 270 and waits for the server 270 toacknowledge the order update. If acknowledged, the terminal 111, 112,121, 131, 151 removes the order update from the one of the durable orderqueues. If unacknowledged (i.e., in the case of non-persistent networkconnectivity), the terminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 maintains the orderupdate in the one of the durable order queues until such time asconnectivity is reestablished, and the terminal 111, 112, 121, 131, 151completes transmission of the order update with acknowledgement by theserver 170.

Upon reception of a particular update from the server 170, the terminals111, 112, 121, 131, 151 may check one of their plurality of order statesthat correspond to the particular update for conflicts. If a conflictexists, the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 may utilize domainspecific rules to resolve the conflict in order to establish a validorder state. Each of the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 is configuredwith the same domain specific rules to provide for consistent resolutionof order states.

As patrons continue to order items corresponding to the order ID, theone or more of the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 may enter the orderupdates and transmit/durably queue the order updates to the server 170in accordance with connectivity conditions. The server 170 may alsoqueue/transmit order updates for all orders in the restaurant to each ofthe terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 according each terminal'sconnectivity. Order fulfillment, payment, and closeout are likewisehandled as order updates through the server 170 and arequeued/transmitted to all of the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 inaccordance with the connection status of each terminal.

Patrons outside of the restaurant are also handled in similar fashionvia the browser-based terminals 181, and third-party terminals 141,though without feedback from the server 170 regarding all orders in therestaurant. When accessed through the browser-based terminals 181 andthird-party terminals 141, the server 170 creates and order ID andassigns it to one of the order processing terminals 131 for fulfillment,while sending status updates on the order ID to all of the terminals111, 112, 121, 131, 151 via the durable terminal queue therein. Theserver 170 may designate a specific delivery terminal 151 for pickup,delivery, and payment based upon geofenced proximity to the restaurant,or based upon workload corresponding to the delivery terminal. Proximityto the restaurant may be determined by a number of different mechanisms,as will be described in further detail below.

The administrative console 171 may maintain a master record of all orderstates and order updates according to all of the terminals 111, 112,121, 131, 151 in order to provide for restaurant management,maintenance, analytics, and network traffic analyses. The console 171may alternatively be disposed in an expediter's area of the restaurantfor use by expediters in assignment and allocation of patron seating andterminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151.

The durable terminal queues and durable order queues may be disposed asbattery backed random-access memory, electrically-erasable programmableread-only memory, solid state memory, hard disk memory, or a combinationof the above that will provide for maintaining order updates within thequeues across network and power interruptions.

Advantageously, the present invention provides for more efficientperformance of computational resources within the server 170 and the POSterminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 over that which has heretofore beenprovided because multiple 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 may be assigned toprocess portions of a single order, resulting in more timely processingof the single order. Similarly, any of the 111, 112, 121, 131, 151 inthe restaurant may be immediately reassigned to a particular order toreplace a malfunctioning terminal or to increase throughput of theserver 170. Accordingly, computational resources 111, 112, 121, 231,151, 170 within the system 100 are afforded an overall performanceimprovement as a result of the present invention.

Now referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram is presented depicting a POSterminal 200 according to the present invention. The POS terminal 200may be characterized as fixed or mobile. When characterized as fixed,the POS terminal 200 may be hardwired to a gateway or may be coupled tothe gateway via wireless access points, as described above withreference to FIG. 1. The terminal 200 may comprise a communicationscircuit COMMS 202 (e.g., transceivers, modems, message formatter, etc.)that is coupled to one or more wired or wireless communications links201, examples of which are described above with reference to FIG. 1. Theterminal 200 may also comprise a connection monitor 204, an orderprocessor 210, a and a payment processing element 206, all of which arecoupled to COMMS 302 via a message bus MSG. The payment processingelement 206 may be coupled to a configurable card reader 231 accordingto the present invention. The terminal 200 may also comprise a linkselect element 205 that is coupled to the connection monitor via bus CSand to the COMMS 202 via bus LNK. The order processor 210 is coupled tothe connection monitor 204 via bus CBUS and to the payment processor 206and an order initiation element 207 via bus SBUS. The order processor210 is coupled to a touchscreen display 203 via bus DATA and to aterminal ID element 209 via bus TID. The order processor 210 is alsocoupled to a state processor 220 via a queue bus QBUS.

The state processor 220 may include a durable order update queue 221that includes order update records 222, each of which are associatedwith a corresponding order for the terminal 200. Individual terminals200 are identified by their corresponding terminal ID, which may bestored within and accessed from the terminal ID element 209. Theterminal ID element 209 also is employed for storage and retrieval ofterminal configuration information (e.g., order processing terminal,kiosk, mobile terminal, host terminal, etc.).

Each of the order update records 222 may comprise order state fields223, which are employed to queue order state changes (i.e., orderupdates) for transmission to a backend server (not shown) asconnectivity to the backend server permits. State fields 223 nearest toOUT are the oldest order state changes queued for transmission to thebackend server. State fields 223 nearest to IN are youngest (or mostrecent) order state changes queued for transmission to the backendserver. Fields 223 between the oldest state fields 223 and the youngeststate fields 223 descend in age from oldest to youngest order statechange according to when those state changes are entered by the terminal200.

Values of the order state fields 223 may include, but are not limitedto, an order ID along with order details taken by the terminal 200.Accordingly, the order update record 222 for order 27 O27 depicts aplurality of order state fields 223 to be transmitted to the server whenconnectivity is reestablished. In decreasing age from oldest to youngestorder state change, the fields 223 depict order state changes S1 throughSN. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the order update record222 O27 depicts that many more state changes have been entered whileconnection status of the terminal 200 is down than have been entered fororder 62 O62 through order 3 O3. Advantageously, the terminal 200according to the present invention may be employed for entry of orderupdates even in the presence of network interruptions, which ischaracteristic of most Wi-Fi networks.

In operation, order state changes S1-SN result from two sources: thetouchscreen display 203 and messages received over COMMS 202 from thebackend server. In the first case, wait staff may enter menu items asrequested by patrons, or in the case that the terminal 200 is configuredas a kiosk 200, the patrons may enter the order items themselves. Thepresent invention contemplates provisions within the terminal 200 todisplay menu selections and payment options to both wait staff andpatrons. Order items received from the touchscreen display 203 areprovided to the order processor 210 via bus DATA, which generates thestate changes. State changes S1-SN received from the backend server areprovided to the order processor 210 via messages received over bus MSG.The terminal 200 may be further configured as a tableside kiosk 200 thatis unattended, such as in found in some restaurants and activityconcepts like bowling alleys, golf gaming venues (e.g., Topgolf). As atableside kiosk 200, patrons are enabled to add to existing orders topurchase additional items.

The connection monitor 204 may monitor reception of a first message(e.g., a ping message) from the backend server and direct transmissionof an acknowledgement message. The connection monitor 204 may update theconnectivity status of the terminal 200 accordingly. In one embodiment,acknowledgment may comprise a simple acknowledge message. In otherembodiments, acknowledgement may comprise additional data such asreceived signal strength indication RSSI associated with one or moreaccess points, number of hops between the backend server and theterminal 200, or Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

The link select element 205 may be employed to direct the COMMS 202 tochange links 201 over which to communicate with the backend server, suchas switching from Wi-Fi to LTE, for example. In one embodiment, in theabsence of connectivity within the restaurant, the link select element205 may direct the COMMS 202 to tether to a cellular equipped devicecorresponding to an order ID, such as devices 106 in FIG. 1, in order totransmit acknowledgements and order state changes to the backend server.

The connection monitor 204 may provide connectivity status of theterminal 200 to the order processor 210 via bus CBUS. In one embodiment,the order processor 210 may generate order state change messages fromoldest to youngest update for each of the orders in the queue 221.Connectivity is maintained when the terminal 200 receivesacknowledgement of a previously transmitted order state change messagefrom the backend server. Once acknowledged, the order processor 210directs the state processor 220 to delete the oldest state change updatefor a corresponding order ID and shift pending updates so that the nextoldest state change update becomes the oldest order update. In oneembodiment, state change updates are transmitted to the backend serveruntil its order state change record 222 is empty, or until connectivitygoes down.

As discussed above, the terminal 200 may be configured as a fixed ormobile POS terminal, a kiosk, a host terminal, a management terminal, oran order processing terminal, where configurations differ principally insize of the touchscreen display 203 and perhaps configuration ofdisplayed items. The configuration parameters for the terminal 200 arestored in the terminal ID 209 element, and the configurationparameters/features are accessed by a configuration manager 211 withinthe order processor 210 upon initialization/reconfiguration of theterminal 200. Thus, the configuration manager 211 may generate imagesfor display on the touchscreen display 203 and capture text and touchesthereon, in accordance with functions prescribed according toconfiguration parameters/features accessed from the terminal ID element209.

Messages received from the communications circuit 202 may also requireadditional functions to be performed by the terminal 200. For example,when orders are placed by a browser-based or third-party based terminal,the backend server may transmit the order state change to the terminal200 and the order processor 210 may direct the state processor 220 tocreate a corresponding order status record 222 in the queue 221.Similarly, when processing of transactions outside of the terminal'scapabilities (e.g., financial transactions with credit card providers,loyalty card discounts, etc.) are required, order processor 210 maydirect the payment processor 206 to generate messages to the backendserver to provide data (e.g., amounts, payment source type, cardswipe/chip information, etc.) to complete the transactions. Suchmessages are transmitted via COMMS 302. The payment processor 204 mayfurther receive state changes (e.g., “order paid,” “payment source 1approved,” “discount amount,” etc.) to from the backend server and mayprovide these state changes to the order processor 210 via TBUS. Theorder processor 210 may then provide those updates to the queue 221 viaOBUS. The terminal 200 may further be employed to create an order.Accordingly, from order entry data received over DATA, the orderprocessor 210 may direct the order initiation element 207 to create anorder ID and may also direct the state processor 220 to create acorresponding order state record 222 in the queue 221.

The terminal 200 may also be employed to enter and process payment datafor orders. For credit card transactions, patrons and/or wait staff mayemploy the configurable card reader 231 to extract payment data fromcredit cards via any of three well known techniques: magnetic stripedcards, cards with embedded chips, or contactless cards. As one skilledin the art will appreciate, magnetic striped card techniques are wellknown and ubiquitous. These cards are swiped through a magnetic stripereader, wherein card numbers, cardholder name, and etc. are encoded on amagnetic strip on the back of the magnetic striped card. In more recentyears, more secure credit cards have been developed according to theEuropay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) standards, namely the global standardfor chip-based debit and credit card transactions. EMV cards are moresecure because account numbers and cardholder information are encrypted.As such, processing of EMV cards requires a reader 231 with EMVcapabilities. In very recent years, contactless cards are being deployedthat utilize near field communications (NFC) techniques to transferaccount numbers and cardholder information to the configurable reader231. Accordingly, the configurable card reader 231 according to thepresent invention may be employed to read payment information from magstripe cards, EMV (i.e., chip-based) cards, contactless (or, “NFC”)cards, or any other form of contactless payment such as, but not limitedto, wearables such as smart watches, smart phones, and integratedcircuits embedded in the skin, where these wearables support featureslike the well-known Apple Pay, Google Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, andother services for contactless payment.

In one embodiment, the configurable card reader 231 is a single assemblyproviding for all three card reading technologies (i.e., mag stripe,EMV, and NFC) that may be additionally configured for use according toorientation of EMV insertion slot position (or “dip” position) relativeto orientation of mag stripe reader position, as will be described inmore detail below. Upon swipe/dip/tap of a respective credit card, thereader 231 transfers payment information obtained therefrom over busRBUS to the payment processing element 206, which generates messagesover MSG to the backend server for approval for an processing of orderpayments.

The terminal 200 terminal according to the present invention is employedto maintain a current state of all orders being fulfilled by therestaurant. The current state of each of the orders is stored in ordercurrent state fields 212 within the order processor 210. The orderprocessor 210 may also comprise domain specific rules (not shown), whichdefine actions required to synchronize conflicting order state changesbeing received and/or processed by the terminal 200, where the domainspecific rules are unique to the restaurant. For example, suppose thatone terminal 200 transmits a state change for a specific order to thebackend server, which is acknowledged by the backend server.Concurrently, a second terminal 200 sends a state change for the sameorder. The backend server may respond to the second terminal with amessage indicating that the order current state field 212 for the orderID within the second POS terminal 200 state is out of date (due toconnection status) and providing the most recent current state of theorder. The domain specific rules are employed by the order processor 210within the second terminal 200 to merge the state changes local to thesecond terminal 200 and may store the merged state in the correspondingcurrent state field 212. The order processor 210 may then direct theCOMMS 202 to transmit the corresponding (reconciled) state field 212contents to the backend server for distribution to all of the terminals400 in the restaurant.

Advantageously, the present invention provides for improvements inperformance of computational resources within the terminals 200 overthat which has heretofore been provided because the terminal 200 may beemployed to process orders in the absence of network connectivity. Inaddition, unnecessary communications with the backend server areprecluded due to on-board conflict resolution logic. Moreover, computingperformance is increased because the terminal 200 may be employed toprocess any of the other orders within the restaurant because thecurrent states of all restaurant orders are resident therein. Overallimprovements in the art are achieved through the synergistic andtailorable employment of facial recognition, voice commands, 3Dgestures, and suggested menu selections based upon detected menukeywords.

Further improvements are achieved through use of a card reader 231 thatis configurable for use in more than one orientation, as will bedescribed below.

The terminal 200 according to the present invention is configured toperform the functions and operations as discussed above. The terminal200 may comprise digital and/or analog logic, circuits, devices, ormicrocode (i.e., micro instructions or native instructions), or acombination of logic, circuits, devices, or microcode, or equivalentelements that are employed to execute the functions and operationsaccording to the present invention as noted. The elements employed toaccomplish these operations and functions within the terminal 200 may beshared with other circuits, microcode, etc., that are employed toperform other functions and/or operations within the terminal 200.According to the scope of the present application, microcode is a termemployed to refer to a plurality of micro instructions. A microinstruction (also referred to as a native instruction) is an instructionat the level that a unit executes. For example, micro instructions aredirectly executed by a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC)microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and theassociated micro instructions are directly executed by a unit or unitswithin the CISC microprocessor.

The terminal 200 may be embodied as one or more central processing units(CPUs) that are coupled to transitory and non-transitory storage (i.e.,memory), where one or more application programs that are configured toperform the functions discussed above are stored in the non-transitorystorage, transferred to the transitory storage at run time, and executedby the one or more CPUs.

Now turning to FIG. 3, a block diagram is presented featuring a backendserver 300. The server 300 may comprise communications circuitry COMMS302 (e.g., transceivers, modems, message formatter, etc.) that iscoupled to one or more wired or wireless communications links 301,examples of which are described above with reference to FIG. 1. Theserver 300 may also comprise a terminal status element 305, a terminalupdate element 306, and a payment processor 304, all of which arecoupled to COMMS 302 via a message bus MSG. The terminal status element305 is coupled to the terminal update element 306 via a status bus STS.The terminal update element 306 may comprise a service area map SA MAP307. The terminal update element 306 is coupled to the payment processor304 and an order initiation element 303 via a terminal bus TBUS. Theterminal update element 306 is also coupled to a queue processor 310 viaa queue bus QBUS.

The queue processor 310 may include a durable terminal queue 311 thatincludes terminal update records 312, each of which are associated witha corresponding terminal, such as the terminals 111, 112, 121, 131, 151discussed with reference to FIG. 9, that are employed within a givenrestaurant. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, N terminal update records 312are shown, each associated with a corresponding one of N terminals forthe given restaurant. In a large restaurant or big box environment, Nmay be roughly equal to 30 terminals, though larger and smaller numbersare contemplated.

Each of the terminal update records 312 may comprise update fields 313,which are employed to queue order updates for transmission to each ofthe corresponding terminals as connectivity to the correspondingterminals permits. Update fields 313 nearest to OUT are the oldest orderupdates queued for transmission to the corresponding terminals. Updatefields 313 nearest to IN are youngest (or most recent) order updatesqueued for transmission to the corresponding terminals. Fields 313between the oldest order updates and the youngest order updates descendin age from oldest to youngest update according to when those updatesare received from others of the corresponding terminals.

Values of the order update fields 313 may include, but are not limitedto, an order ID along with order details, including payment information,taken by the others of the corresponding terminals. Accordingly, theterminal update record 312 for terminal 1 TERM1 depicts a plurality oforder update fields 313 to be transmitted to TERM1 when connectivity isreestablished with TERM1. In decreasing age from oldest to youngestorder update, the fields 313 depict updates to order 64 U64, then order6 U6, then order 22 U22, and so on, culminating with an update to order17 U17. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the terminal updaterecord 312 for TERM1 is indicative that TERM1 has been offline (i.e., noconnectivity) longer than any of the other terminals in the restaurant.This length of time may correspond to a mobile terminal that is servinga party on a restaurant porch that has poor Wi-Fi connectivity, or maycorrespond to a delivery terminal that is traversing an area with poorcellular coverage. The terminal update records 312 corresponding toTERM2, TERM 3, and TERMN depict a number of populated order updatefields 313 less than the number of fields for TERM1, which maycorrespond to terminals within the restaurant that have only slightlyintermittent connectivity. And the terminal update record for TERM4contains only empty order update fields 313, thus indicated that thisterminal is up to date on all order state changes within the restaurant.

Operationally, the terminal status element 305 may periodically transmita first message to each of the terminals and update the connectivitystatus of the terminals based upon whether they acknowledge the firstmessage or not. In one embodiment, the first message may comprise a pingmessage. In one embodiment, acknowledgment may comprise a simpleacknowledge message. In other embodiments, acknowledgement may compriseadditional data such as received signal strength indication RSSI, numberof hops, or Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. The acknowledgemessage may further comprise configuration identification data such asterminal configuration (e.g., mobile order entry, order processing,kiosk, management terminal).

The terminal status element 305 may provide connectivity status of eachof the terminals to the terminal update element 306 via bus STS. Theservice area map 307 is a table that associates each of the terminals toone or more service areas within the restaurant, as described above withreference to FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the terminal update element 306may generate order update messages from oldest to youngest update foreach of the terminals that are connected. Connectivity is maintainedwhen a terminal acknowledges receipt of an order update message. Onceacknowledged, the terminal update element 306 directs the queueprocessor 310 to delete the oldest order update for that terminal andshift pending order updates so that the next oldest order update becomesthe oldest order update. In one embodiment, order updates aretransmitted to a given terminal until its terminal update record 312 isempty, or until connectivity is broken.

In one embodiment, all of the terminals associated with the restaurantare updated by the terminal update element 306. In an alternativeembodiment, terminals are selectively updated in accordance with theirmapping to the one or more service areas, as indicated by contents ofthe service area map 307. For example, delivery terminals may onlyrequire knowledge of orders that are to be delivered outside therestaurant, and thus they may be mapped to a “delivery” service area sothat order updates that correspond to the delivery service area aretransmitted to the delivery terminals. Similarly, the restaurant orretail establishment may be so large that management dedicates certainterminals to designate service areas. Accordingly, all of the terminalsin a given service area may be employed to update any order placedwithin the given service area, but they may not be employed to updateorders placed outside of the given service area.

Messages received from the communications circuit 302 may also requireadditional functions to be performed by the backend server 300. Forexample, when orders are placed by a browser-based or third-party basedterminal, the terminal update element 306 may transmit the order updateto the order initiation element 303 via TBUS. The order initiationelement 303 may then create an order ID for the order update and mayassign the order ID to one or more of the terminals within therestaurant. Similarly, when an order update message received over theCOMMS 302 requires processing of transactions outside of the terminals'capabilities (e.g., financial transactions with credit card providers,loyalty card discounts, etc.), the payment processor 304 may generatemessages to complete the transactions and the messages are transmittedvia COMMS 302. The payment processor 304 may further generate orderupdates (e.g., “order paid,” “payment source 1 approved,” “discountamount,” etc.) to be transmitted to the terminals and may provide theseupdates to the terminal update element 306 via TBUS. The terminal updateelement 306 may then provide those updates to the durable queue 311 viaQBUS, and the updates are transmitted to the POS terminals in due coursedependent upon connection status, as is described above.

The backend server 300 according to the present invention is configuredto perform the functions and operations as discussed above. The server300 may comprise digital and/or analog logic, circuits, devices, ormicrocode (i.e., micro instructions or native instructions), or acombination of logic, circuits, devices, or microcode, or equivalentelements that are employed to execute the functions and operationsaccording to the present invention as noted. The elements employed toaccomplish these operations and functions within the server 300 may beshared with other circuits, microcode, etc., that are employed toperform other functions and/or operations within the server 300.According to the scope of the present application, microcode is a termemployed to refer to a plurality of micro instructions. A microinstruction (also referred to as a native instruction) is an instructionat the level that a unit executes. For example, micro instructions aredirectly executed by a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC)microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and theassociated micro instructions are directly executed by a unit or unitswithin the CISC microprocessor.

The backend server 300 may be embodied as one or more central processingunits (CPUs) that are coupled to both transitory and non-transitorystorage (i.e., memory), where one or more application programs that areconfigured to perform the server functions discussed above are stored inthe non-transitory storage, transferred to the transitory storage at runtime, and executed by the one or more CPUs.

Now referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram is presented showing exemplaryupdate/status messages according to the present invention that flowbetween a backend server and a POS terminal.

An order assignment message 410 transmitted by the server to one or morePOS terminals may comprise fields 401 having a specific terminal IDTERMID assigned for a particular order ID ORDERID along with a tablenumber TABLENUM having a given number of seats NUMSEATS. The message 410may further comprise a SPECIAL field 401 via which special requirements(e.g., high chair, wheel chair access) are communicated to the POSterminal.

An order state change message 420 transmitted from a POS terminal to theserver may comprise TERMID and ORDERID fields 401 as described above,along with one or more groups of ITEM, MOD, and SEAT # fields 401, wherecontents of the ITEM field 401 indicated a menu item ordered for a givenseat number at the table along with any modifications to the item number(e.g., rare, no onions, etc.).

A payment state change message 430 transmitted from a POS terminal tothe server may comprise TERMID and ORDERID fields along with one or moregroups of PMTREQ, AMT, and TIP fields 401, where contents of the PMTREQfield 401 indicates a payment type (e.g., cash, MasterCard, etc.), andcontents of AMT and TIP indicate amount of payment for the particularpayment type along with a tip amount.

An order closeout message 440 may comprise TERMID and ORDER ID fields501 as noted above, along with a CLOSED field 401, the contents of whichindicate whether the particular order ID is open or closed.

A time clock message 450 exchanged between a POS terminal and the servermay comprise a TERMID field 401 as noted above along with a STAFFID,TIMEIN, and TIMEOUT fields 401, where the contents of TIMEIN and TIMEOUTindicate a duration of time for which a staff member identified bySTAFFID has employed a particular POS terminal. The server may employsuch messages 450 to calculate hours worked by the staff member.

An inventory message 460 may comprise a group of INVITEM and INVAMTfields 501, the contents of which indicate the amount of inventoryremaining for a given inventory item as a result of processing currentorders in the restaurant. Accordingly, the server may employ the notedamounts to expedite ordering of additional inventory items, or toinstruct the POS terminals to remove certain corresponding menu itemsfrom their menus that are displayed to wait staff or patrons.

The messages 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460 are not exhaustive of thosewhat may be employed according to the present disclosure, but areprovided herein to teach further aspects and advantages according to thepresent invention.

Having now discussed the order fulfillment system according to thepresent invention, which includes hardwired and wireless terminals inboth fixed and mobile configurations, attention is now directed towardaspects of a card reader having mag swipe, EMV, and NFC capabilities,that may additionally be configured for use in any of the above-notedterminals, or in stand-alone configurations, for obtaining credit cardinformation and transmitting that information to payment processingelements in the terminals.

The following discussion will refer to FIGS. 5-12, where: FIG. 5 is adiagram detailing a configurable credit card reader 500 according to thepresent invention shown in a 0-degree configuration; FIG. 6 is a diagramillustrating the configurable credit card reader 500 according to thepresent invention shown in transition between a 0-degree configurationand a 90-degree configuration; FIG. 7 is a diagram depicting theconfigurable credit card reader 500 according to the present inventionshown in a 0-degree configuration and that shows inserted credit cards;FIG. 8 is a diagram featuring the configurable credit card reader 500according to the present invention shown in a 90-degree configurationand that shows inserted credit cards; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing theconfigurable credit card reader 500 according to the present inventionshown in a 180-degree configuration and that shows inserted creditcards; FIG. 10 is a diagram detailing the configurable credit cardreader 500 according to the present invention shown in a 270-degreeconfiguration and that shows inserted credit cards; FIG. 11 is a diagramillustrating an exploded view of the configurable credit card reader 500according to the present invention as seen from an downward perspective;and FIG. 12 is a diagram depicting an exploded view of the configurablecredit card reader 500 according to the present invention as seen froman upward perspective.

For purposes of this application, the above noted configurations areindicative of a combined mag stripe/NFC reader assembly's orientationrelative that an orientation of an EMV reader assembly, where both thecombined mag stripe/NFC reader assembly is rotated (i.e., swiveled)within a plane in which both the mag stripe/NFC reader assembly and theEMV reader assembly are disposed, about a center axis that isperpendicular to the plane in which both the mag stripe/NFC readerassembly and the EMV reader assembly are disposed.

The configurable credit card reader 500 according to the presentinvention is preferably configured for use in one of fourconfigurations: 1) a 0-degree configuration (FIG. 5) in which a magstripe reader slot 503 is oriented on the same side of the reader 500 asan EMV reader slot 505; 2) a 90-degree configuration (FIG. 8) in whichthe mag stripe reader slot 503 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise, asviewed from the top face of the mag stripe/NFC reader assembly, to aside adjacent to the side of the reader 500 that has the EMV reader slot505; 3) a 180-degree configuration (FIG. 9) in which the mag stripereader slot 503 is rotated 180 degrees clockwise, as viewed from the topface of the mag stripe/NFC reader assembly, to a side opposite to theside of the reader 500 that has the EMV reader slot 505; and 4) a270-degree configuration (FIG. 10) in which the mag stripe reader slot503 is rotated 270 degrees clockwise, as viewed from the top face of themag stripe/NFC reader assembly, to a side adjacent to the side of thereader 500 that has the EMV reader slot 505. FIG. 6 shows the reader 500in a 45-degree configuration in which the mag stripe reader slot 503 isrotated 45 degrees clockwise, as viewed from the top face of the magstripe/NFC reader assembly, to a side adjacent to the side of the reader500 that has the EMV reader slot 505. The 45-degree configuration isprovided to depict a transition from the 0-degree configuration to the90-degree configuration for purposes of teaching aspects of the presentinvention. Though the 45-degree configuration and any other rotatedangle configuration other than 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees are notnecessarily preferred embodiments, the present inventors not that thescope of the present invention extends to such orientations when thecard reader 500 is configured for use.

Before elements of the configurable card reader 500 are discussed, thepresent inventors wish to reiterate reasons discussed above regardingthe need in the art for such a reader 500. First, as one skilled in theart will appreciate, user experience with a payment system is the mostsignificant factor in its acceptance. User experience not onlyencompasses pure functionality and speed of operation, but also ease ofoperation and heuristics. Accordingly, the orientation of a card reader500—stand-alone or as part of a POS terminal—is an important factor,whether the user is a patron (as in a kiosk or customer-facing POSdisplay application) or retail staff (as in a mobile or fixed terminalapplication). It goes without saying that no one—patrons nor staff—wouldprefer to swipe, dip, or tap a credit card in anything other than acomfortable position, and that position is purely a function of setup.For example, for a handheld mobile POS terminal, depending uponapplication, it may be desirable to configure the card reader 500 in a0-degree configuration where EMV cards 560 having embedded chips 561 areinserted in the top of the terminal, mag stripe cards 550 having a codedmagnetic stripe 551 thereon are swiped through a top slot from left toright, and contactless cards are tapped on a side or the terminal facingthe staff person holding the terminal. Alternatively, it may be optimumto provide the reader 500 in a 90-degree configuration where EMV cards560 are inserted in the top of the terminal, mag stripe cards 550 areswiped through a right side slot from top to bottom, and contactlesscards are tapped on a side or the terminal facing the staff personholding the terminal. When integrated into a fixed POS terminal with thereader 500 installed on a right side, it may be desirable to provide thereader 500 in a 270-degree configuration where EMV cards 560 areinserted into the reader 500 from the bottom, mag stripe cards 550 areswiped through a right side slot from top to bottom, and contactlesscards are tapped on a side or the terminal facing the staff personholding the terminal. When integrated into a fixed POS terminal with thereader 500 installed on a left side, it may be desirable to provide thereader 500 in a 90-degree configuration where EMV cards 560 are insertedinto the reader 500 from the bottom, mag stripe cards 550 are swipedthrough a left side slot from top to bottom, and contactless cards aretapped on a side or the terminal facing the staff person holding theterminal. In a customer-facing stand-alone configuration, it may bedesirable to provide the reader 500 in a 180-degree configuration, wherethe customer inserts EMV cards 560 from the bottom and swipes mag stripecards 550 in a slot on the top from left to right. Many otherconfigurations are conceivable where acceptance of the reader 500depends upon presentation to the user.

To provide a card reader 500 that is configurable for use in any of theabove-noted, and other, configurations is a remarkable improvement inthe art, for the reader 500 only need be certified for use one time, asopposed to certifying four (or more) single-configuration readers, thusproviding a substantial cost advantage over that which has heretoforebeen provided.

Accordingly, the reader may comprise a mag strip/tap reader assemblythat has indicative print or embossment designating a tap to pay area507 that allows for optimal placement of a contactless credit card. Thetap to pay area 507 is on an outside face of a top plate 501 of the magstrip/tap reader assembly. The mag strip/tap reader assembly alsocomprises a bottom plate 502 that is coupled to the top plate 501. Bothplates 501, 502, in one embodiment, are fabricated from molded plasticand may be coupled together via snap fit or screws (not shown). One endof the bottom plate 502 is notched in such a matter as to provide aswipe slot 503 and stop for a mag stripe card 550 that aligns the card550 with one or more mag stripe reader heads (not shown).

The mag strip/tap reader assembly further comprises a mag strip/tapreader circuit card assembly 510 that includes an NFC antenna/readercircuit 512 for contactless cards and a mag stripe reader circuit 511for mag stripe cards 550. The mag strip/tap reader circuit card assembly510, in one embodiment, is coupled to the inside of the top plate 501via snap fit, screws, or comparable attachment mechanisms. The magstrip/tap reader circuit card assembly 510 is coupled to the mag stripereader head(s) via flex cable (not shown) designed as a spiral coil toallow for multiple rotations about the center axis. Alternatively, themag strip/tap reader circuit card assembly 510 is coupled to the magstripe reader head(s) via a conventional slip ring and brush connection.The bottom plate 502 of the mag stripe/tap reader assembly comprises amag strip/tap reader collar 521 that forms a circular intersticethereon, where the collar 521 extends on a face of the bottom plate 502in the direction of an EMV reader assembly, to which the mag stripe/tapreader is coupled for configuration.

The EMV reader assembly comprises a top plate 508 that includes an EMVreader collar 522 that extends in the direction of the mag stripe/tapreader assembly. In one embodiment, the EMV reader collar 522 is of adiameter slightly greater than the mag stripe/tap collar 521, so thatwhen the collars 521-522 are connected, a press fit or snap fit junctionis formed to hold the mag stripe/tap reader assembly to the EMV readerassembly. In another embodiment, the EMV reader collar 522 is of adiameter slightly less than the mag stripe/tap collar 521, so that whenthe collars 521-522 are connected, they overlap and a press fit or snapfit junction is formed to hold the mag stripe/tap reader assembly to theEMV reader assembly. In one embodiment, the collars 521-522 arefabricated such that rotational stops are created at 0, 90, 180, and 270degrees to allow for rapid configuration for use. In one embodiment, thecollars 521-522 are rated for IP54 or higher operation to provide a highdegree of protection against particles and liquid, which are common inrestaurant environments.

The EMV reader assembly further includes a bottom plate 509 that iscoupled to the top plate 508. Both plates 508-509, in one embodiment,are fabricated from molded plastic and may be coupled together via snapfit or screws (not shown). The bottom plate 509 may be notched at an endwhere an EMV card 560 having an EMV chip 561 embedded thereon isinserted. The top plate 508 has an extended side that mates with thenotched end of the top plate 508 when assembled. The extended side isfabricated such that a rectangular insertion slot 505 for the EMV card560 is formed. The insertion slot 505 further provides for alignment ofthe embedded chip 561 on the card 560 with an EMV reader circuitcomponent 515 disposed on an EMV reader circuit card assembly 514, wherethe EMV reader circuit card assembly 514 is affixed to the top plate 508via snap fit, screws, or comparable attachment mechanisms

In one embodiment, the mag stripe/tap reader circuit card assembly 510is coupled to the EMV circuit card assembly 514 via the spiral coil flexcable described a above that is routed through the interstice formed bythe collars 521-522. The EMV reader circuit card assembly 514, in oneembodiment, may comprise a connector 516 that projects through acorresponding hold 517 in the bottom plate 509 when assembled thatprovides for coupling of the card reader 500 to payment processingelements in fixed/mobile terminals. In one embodiment, the connector 516comprises a USB-C-style connector having a proprietary pinout.

The bottom plate 509 may further comprise one or more threaded inserts506 that provide for mounting of the card reader 500 within amobile/fixed terminal, to the housing of a mobile/fixed terminal, or toa dock or stand (not shown) when disposed in a stand-aloneconfiguration.

In one embodiment, the card reader 500 is approximately 60-70 mm squareon the sides and approximately 15-25 mm in height. The interstice formedby the interlocking collars 521-522 is approximately 40-50 mm indiameter, but may be sized to accommodate the spiral flex cable thatcouples together the circuit card assemblies 510, 514.

Operationally, when assembled, the mag stripe/tap reader assembly may berotated to a desirable configuration, as described above, disposedwithin or attached to a mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or dock, andcoupled to payment processing elements via a cable or flex cable via theconnector 516. Advantageously, the configurable card reader 500according to the present invention provides for a single, configurablefor use reader that need only undergo a single certification process.

Turning now to FIG. 13, a diagram is presented featuring a mobile POSterminal 1300 according to the present invention that includes thecredit card reader 500 configured for use in a 0-degree configuration.The mobile POS terminal 1300 may comprise a housing 1301, a touchscreendisplay 1302, and a hand strap 1303. The housing 1301 may be fabricatedto provide openings and mounting features so that when the card reader500 is disposed therein mag stripe cards 550 may be swiped though theslot 503, EMV cards 560 may be dipped in the EMV slot 505, andcontactless cards may be tapped on the face of the touchscreen display1302.

Referring now to FIG. 14, a diagram is presented showing a fixed POSterminal 1400 according to the present invention that includes thecredit card reader 500 configured for left-handed operation in a90-degree configuration with EMV slot 505 (not shown) on the bottom andmag stripe reader slot 503 on the left side. The fixed POS terminal 1400may comprise a housing 1401, a touchscreen display 1402, and a mountingdevice 1403 to which the housing 1401 is affixed. Although the mountingdevice 1403 is shown in the diagram as a stand, the present inventorsnote that that other embodiments of the mounting device such as, but notlimited to, as dock, a cradle, a swivel arm, or any other type of devicethat allows to mounting the terminal 1400 in a fixed location.Accordingly, mag stripe cards 550 may be swiped though the slot 503, EMVcards 560 may be dipped upwards into the EMV slot 505, and contactlesscards may be tapped on the face of the reader that is on the same sideof the terminal 1400 as the touchscreen display 1402.

Turning now to FIG. 15, a diagram is presented showing a fixed POSterminal 1500 according to the present invention that includes thecredit card reader 500 configured for right-handed operation in a270-degree configuration with EMV slot 505 (not shown) on the bottom andmag stripe reader slot 503 on the right side. The fixed POS terminal1500 may comprise a housing 1501, a touchscreen display 1502, and amounting device 1503 to which the housing 1501 is affixed. Although themounting device 1503 is shown in the diagram as a stand, the presentinventors note that that other embodiments of the mounting device suchas, but not limited to, as dock, a cradle, a swivel arm, or any othertype of device that allows to mounting the terminal 1500 in a fixedlocation.

FIGS. 15-16 disclose exemplary embodiments of the present invention whenconfigured for use with a fixed POS terminal 1400, 1500; however, thepresent inventors note that embodiments for fixed POS terminals 1400,1500 are not constrained to only left-handed and right-handed operation.Rather, similar to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS.14-15, where the credit card reader 500 is attached in the same plane asthe touchscreen display 1402, 1502, the credit card reader 500 may beconfigured perpendicular to the touchscreen display 1402, 1502 to allowfor a smaller counter footprint, which is very important in fast casualretail spaces that want to maximize square foot usage. In addition, thecredit card reader 500 may be attached to the top of the housing 1401,1501, but facing a direction opposite to the touchscreen display 1402,1502, thus enabling a patron to enter payment in a quick and intuitivemanner. Advantageously, this configuration allows for patron paymentwithout the retail establishment having to purchase expensive secondscreens or “brick” card readers with screens, such as those manufacturedby Verifone, Ingenico, and other present-day providers.

Finally, as noted above, the credit card reader 500 according to thepresent invention may be configured in any orientation disclosed hereinas a stand-alone reader where the credit card reader 500 is disposed ina dock, cradle, or similar housing and is coupled to a POS terminal viaa cable coupled to connector C1 and a corresponding connector on theterminal. Advantageously, such an embodiment provides a retailestablishment the highest flexibility to place the reader 500 (and anyassociated touchscreens 1402, 1502) at locations to meet requirementsfor height and depth of access that are stipulated by the Americans withDisabilities Act (ADA).

Finally turning to FIG. 16, a block diagram 1600 is presentedillustrating circuit components of the configurable card reader 500according to the present invention. FIGS. 11-12 show these componentsdisposed on a mag stripe/tap circuit card assembly 510 and an EMVcircuit card assembly 514 that are coupled to plates 501 and 508,respectively, within the card reader 500, where the circuit cardassemblies 510, 514 are coupled together via a flex cable and where aconnector 516 is provided to couple the circuit card assemblies 510, 514to payment processing components. The present inventors note, however,that such division of the components into two circuit card assemblies isa design choice based on end use and the circuit components may bedisposed on a single printed circuit card assembly, more than twocircuit card assemblies, or in other conventional divisions.

The diagram 1600 comprises an NFC antenna/reader 1601 that is coupledvia a power bus PWR and communications bus COM to connector C1. Thediagram additionally shows a mag stripe reader 1603 that is coupled toC1 and the NFC Antenna/Reader 1601 via PWR and COM. One or more magstripe reader heads 1602 are coupled to the mag stripe reader 1603 viabusses TRK1, TRK2, and TRK3. The diagram 1600 further shows an EMVinterface/reader element 1604 that is coupled C1, the NFC antenna/readerelement 1601, and the EMV interface/reader element 1604 via PWR and COM.A wired or flex connection RBUS provides for coupling the readerelements 1601-1604 to a POS terminal payment processing element via busRBUS, as described with reference to FIG. 2.

Power is provided via the power bus PWR. Communication of encryptedcardholder data to the POS terminal payment processing element isprovided over bus COM. Buses PWR and COM are combined at connector C1into bus RBUS.

The NFC antenna/reader 1601 may comprise a conventional near fieldcommunications antenna (not shown) disposed in a location that providesfor acceptable reception and communication with contactless credit cardsplaced near a designated (e.g., TAP TO PAY) location indicated on anoutside face of the configurable credit card reader 500. The NFCantenna/reader 1601 may further comprise conventional NFC readercircuits (not shown) that provide for communication with the NFCantenna; extraction, amplification, decoding, formatting, and encryptionof the cardholder data; and transmission of encrypted cardholder data tothe POS terminal payment processing element. In one embodiment, the NFCantenna/reader 1601 may be configured for interoperation with one ormore NFC range extenders to allow a patron to tap in other locations ona fixed or mobile POS terminal to accommodate ease of payment workflowwithin the retail establishment.

The EMV interface/reader 1603 may comprise a conventional EMV chipinterface (not shown) disposed in a location that provides for couplingan EMV chip disposed within an inserted EMV card to a conventional EMVreader circuits (not shown) that provide for communication with the EMVchip; extraction, amplification, decoding, formatting, and encryption ofthe cardholder data; and transmission of encrypted cardholder data tothe POS terminal payment processing element.

The mag stripe reader may comprise well known mag stripe reader circuits(not shown) that provide for communication with the mag stripe head(s)1602 via buses TRK1, TRK2, and TRK3; extraction, amplification,decoding, formatting, and encryption of the cardholder data; andtransmission of encrypted cardholder data to the POS terminal paymentprocessing element.

The card reader elements 1601-1604 according to the present inventionare configured to perform the functions and operations as discussedabove. The card reader elements 1601-1604 comprise logic, circuits,devices, or microcode (i.e., micro instructions or native instructions),or a combination of logic, circuits, devices, or microcode, orequivalent elements that are employed to execute the functions andoperations according to the present invention as noted. The elementsemployed to accomplish these operations and functions within the cardreader elements 1601-1604 may be shared with other circuits, microcode,etc., that are employed to perform other functions and/or operationswithin the card reader elements 1601-1604.

The card reader elements 1601-1604 may be embodied as one or morecentral processing units (CPUs) that are coupled to both transitory andnon-transitory storage (i.e., memory), where one or more applicationprograms that are configured to perform the server functions discussedabove are stored in the non-transitory storage, transferred to thetransitory storage at run time, and executed by the one or more CPUs.

Portions of the present invention and corresponding detailed descriptionare presented in terms of software, or algorithms and symbolicrepresentations of operations on data bits within a computer memory.These descriptions and representations are the ones by which those ofordinary skill in the art effectively convey the substance of their workto others of ordinary skill in the art. An algorithm, as the term isused here, and as it is used generally, is conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The stepsare those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form ofoptical, electrical, or magnetic signals capable of being stored,transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It hasproven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, torefer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters,terms, numbers, or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise, or as is apparent from the discussion,terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or“determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action andprocesses of a computer system, a microprocessor, a central processingunit, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates andtransforms data represented as physical, electronic quantities withinthe computer system's registers and memories into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computer system memoriesor registers or other such information storage, transmission or displaydevices.

Note also that the software implemented aspects of the invention aretypically encoded on some form of program storage medium or implementedover some type of transmission medium. The program storage medium may beelectronic (e.g., read only memory, flash read only memory, electricallyprogrammable read only memory), random access memory magnetic (e.g., afloppy disk or a hard drive) or optical (e.g., a compact disk read onlymemory, or “CD ROM”), and may be read only or random access. Similarly,the transmission medium may be metal traces, twisted wire pairs, coaxialcable, optical fiber, flex cable, or some other suitable transmissionmedium known to the art. The invention is not limited by these aspectsof any given implementation.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, andthose skilled in the art will appreciate that they can readily use thedisclosed conception and specific embodiments as a basis for designingor modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of thepresent invention, and that various changes, substitutions andalterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of theinvention as set forth by the appended claims. For example,components/elements of the systems and/or apparatuses may be integratedor separated. In addition, the operation of the systems and apparatusesdisclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other componentsand the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps.Additionally, unless otherwise specified steps may be performed in anysuitable order.

Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, variousembodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages.

What is claimed is:
 1. A credit card reader that is configurable foruse, comprising: a first assembly comprising a mag stripe card reader;and a second assembly comprising a Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) reader,said second assembly coupled to said first assembly; wherein said firstassembly rotates about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which saidassemblies are disposed to one of a plurality of angular positions, saidplurality of angular positions indicating an offset angle of said firstassembly relative to said second assembly.
 2. The credit card reader asrecited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of angular positionscomprises 0 degrees and 180 degrees.
 3. The credit card reader asrecited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of angular positions furthercomprises 90 degrees and 270 degrees.
 4. The credit card reader asrecited in claim 1, wherein said first assembly comprises a first collarforming a first circular interstice on a bottom side of said firstassembly, that is coupled to a second collar forming a second circularinterstice on a top side of said second assembly.
 5. The credit cardreader as recited in claim 4, wherein said assemblies are fabricatedfrom plastic and are coupled together via press fit.
 6. The credit cardreader as recited in claim 5, wherein said collars are fabricated tocreate rotational stops corresponding to each of said plurality ofangular positions.
 7. The credit card reader as recited in claim 6,wherein said first assembly further comprises a contactless card reader.8. A credit card reader that is configurable for use, comprising: afirst assembly comprising a contactless card reader and a mag stripecard reader; and a second assembly comprising a Europay Mastercard Visa(EMV) reader, said second assembly coupled to said first assembly;wherein said first assembly rotates about an axis perpendicular to aplane in which said assemblies are disposed to one of a plurality ofangular positions, said plurality of angular positions indicating anoffset angle of said first assembly relative to said second assembly. 9.The credit card reader as recited in claim 8, wherein said plurality ofangular positions comprises 0 degrees and 180 degrees.
 10. The creditcard reader as recited in claim 9, wherein said plurality of angularpositions further comprises 90 degrees and 270 degrees.
 11. The creditcard reader as recited in claim 8, wherein said first assembly comprisesa first collar forming a first circular interstice on a bottom side ofsaid first assembly, that is coupled to a second collar forming a secondcircular interstice on a top side of said second assembly.
 12. Thecredit card reader as recited in claim 11, wherein said assemblies arefabricated from plastic and are coupled together via press fit.
 13. Thecredit card reader as recited in claim 12, wherein said collars arefabricated to create rotational stops corresponding to each of saidplurality of angular positions.
 14. A method for configuring a creditcard reader for use, the method comprising: first disposing a mag stripecard reader within a first assembly; second disposing a EuropayMastercard Visa (EMV) reader within a second assembly; and coupling thesecond assembly to the first assembly, wherein the first assemblyrotates about an axis perpendicular to a plane in which the assembliesare disposed to one of a plurality of angular positions, the pluralityof angular positions indicating an offset angle of the first assemblyrelative to the second assembly.
 15. The method as recited in claim 14,wherein the plurality of angular positions comprises 0 degrees and 180degrees.
 16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality ofangular positions further comprises 90 degrees and 270 degrees.
 17. Themethod as recited in claim 15, wherein the first assembly comprises afirst collar forming a first circular interstice on a bottom side of thefirst assembly, that is coupled to a second collar forming a secondcircular interstice on a top side of the second assembly.
 18. The methodas recited in claim 17, wherein the assemblies are fabricated fromplastic and are coupled together via press fit.
 19. The method asrecited in claim 18, wherein the collars are fabricated to createrotational stops corresponding to each of the plurality of angularpositions.
 20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:third disposing a contactless card reader within the first assembly.